Quick Takes

Da Band's Chopper, a.k.a. Young City, is endorsing Rap Snacks Pork Skins and Cracklins which reminds me, I need to follow up on a recent proposal to produce a ProHipHop branded line of pigs feet, individually packaged for freshness with a pedicured nail on every foot.

Apparently Justo's Mixtape Awards did happen Wednesday night and awards were given.

Though Bobby Vinton is puzzled by hearing his voice sped up on Akon's single Lonely, his "wife and children think it's great." Lonely has been in Billboard's Hot 100 for four weeks.

Ras Kass discusses how fast the rap game can change and how much it stays the same when you're locked up for 19 months.

8Ball and MJG are featured in the Foundations chapter of an upcoming book, Country Fried Soul: Adventures in Dirty South Hip-Hop by Tamara Palmer.

With tax time approaching, we're reminded yet again that Russell Simmons has both a prepaid debit card and is participating in TurboTax's Rock Your Refund which redirects to a TurboTax web page without the catchy phrase, for some reason.

Film/TV: Apprentice, George Atkinson, Damon Dash, Coolio

I can't imagine what was more disgusting last night, the fake humans on PoweR Girls or the fake VJs on Apprentice.  Fortunately, I don't have cable and so was easily able to avoid hearing an Apprentice actor try to talk like Snoop.  Even better was missing an appearance by the increasingly nauseating Gene Simmons.

Although the idea of inventing the video rental store may seem a bit odd, the passing of George Atkinson reminds us that he saw an opportunity that Hollywood execs didn't recognize at the time.

Damon Dash will be a juror in the late April Tribeca Film Festival in Manhattan.  Robert De Niro is a cofounder of the Tribeca Film Festival.

Playing the character "Master Flow", Coolio will appear and perform in the comic movie Retirement.